Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award).
In one known slot gaming machine, the gaming machine includes a plurality of reels and one or more paylines. Such gaming machines include any suitable number of reels, such as three to five reels, which each display any suitable number of symbols per reel, such as three symbols per reel, wherein each reel includes one symbol displayed in each of a plurality of symbol positions on that reel. Such gaming machines may have one, three, five, nine, fifteen, twenty-five or any other suitable number of paylines which are horizontal, vertical, diagonal or any combination thereof.
In certain known slot gaming machines, upon placing one or more wagers, the reels spin to generate a plurality of symbols and the gaming machine analyzes the generated symbols to determine if the gaming machine has randomly generated a winning symbol or winning symbol combination on or along one or more of the wagered on paylines. Any awards associated with any generated winning symbols or winning symbol combinations generated along any wagered on paylines are provided to the player. Alternatively, any awards associated with any winning symbols or winning symbol combinations that are generated anywhere on a wagered on payline (i.e., a line scatter pay) or anywhere on the reels (i.e., a reel scatter pay) are provided to the player. Modifying the number of generated symbols by either modifying the number of reels or modifying the number of symbols generated in symbol display positions by one or more of the reels, modifies the number of symbols available to form a winning symbol combination.
In another type of gaming machine with reels, the player wagers on a number of ways to win, wherein any award provided to the player is based on the number of associated symbols which are generated in active symbol display positions on a requisite number of adjacent reels (i.e., not on paylines passing through any displayed winning symbol combinations). In such known ways to win gaming machines, the total number of ways to win is determined by multiplying the number of symbols generated in active symbol display positions on a first reel by the number of symbols generated in active symbol display positions on a second reel by the number of symbols generated in active symbol positions on a third reel and so on for each reel of the gaming machine with at least one symbol generated in an active symbol display position. For example, a three reel gaming machine with three symbols generated in active symbol display positions on each reel includes 27 ways to win (i.e., 3 symbols on the first reel×3 symbols on the second reel×3 symbols on the third reel). Modifying the number of generated symbols by either modifying the number of reels or modifying the number of symbols generated in active symbol display positions by one or more of the reels, modifies the number of ways to win.
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming machines. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be). In other words, obtaining a bonus event and a bonus award in the bonus event is part of the enjoyment and excitement for players.
There is a continuing need to provide new and different primary games as well as new and different ways to provide awards to players including bonus awards.